The School Counselor and the Use of Non-School-Counseling Credentialed Personnel in Implementing School Counseling Programs
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(Adopted 1994, Revised 2000, 2006, 2012, 2018, 2024)
ASCA Position
School counseling programs serve a vital role in maximizing student success and positively affect achievement for all students. School counselors are uniquely qualified and solely eligible to meet the requirements of designing and implementing these programs and recognize that personnel who do not hold a certificate/license in school counseling are not qualified to deliver a school counseling program supporting student academic, career and social/emotional development.The Rationale
School counselors are certified/licensed educators with a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling or equivalent. According to the Department of Education (2022), a credentialed school counselor is an individual who possesses a valid license or certificate from the state education agency in which they are employed. As a result of their training and licensure, school counselors are able to design, implement and assess a school counseling program that is integral to the school’s mission and is created to have a significant positive impact on student achievement.Research shows students who attend a school with a fully implemented school counseling program earn higher grades and are better prepared for life after high school (ASCA, 2024; Mullen et al., 2019; Savitz-Romer et al., 2022). School counselors recognize students face many challenges that may place them at risk for school failure. Communities and school districts across the country are seeking solutions to these complex challenges and may establish a variety of positions to address student needs.
School districts work diligently to employ the most highly trained personnel for dealing with these issues and may employ non-school-counseling credentialed staff for specific functions. Although non-school-counseling credentialed staff members provide valuable services to students, they do not have the training or skills to design or implement a school counseling program nor are they qualified to be placed in the role of school counselor.
Non-school-counseling credentialed staff may include, but are not limited to, the following jobs:
- paraprofessionals
- peer helpers
- volunteers
- clerical support staff
- student assistance team members
- social workers, psychologists
- nurses
- mentors
- mental health counselors including marriage and family counselors, social/emotional coaches and day treatment workers
- college or graduation coaches/academic advisors
- behavior support specialists
- deans/assistant deans of students
- chaplains/clergy
The School Counselor's Role
School counselors recognize student needs can best be met through the collaborative efforts of all school personnel (Griffiths et al., 2021) and encourage non-school-counseling credentialed personnel to accept only positions for which they are qualified. When non-school-counseling credentialed personnel are performing interventions or prevention activities, these activities should be limited to the scope of the individual’s training and licensure.School counselors work with administrators, teachers and staff to set up suitable protocols, duties and oversight for non-school-counseling credentialed personnel and the programs they offer. It is important for both school counselors and non-school-counseling credentialed staff to be mindful of who is providing services to students to prevent redundancy in services and maintain integrity of each of the specific roles and qualifications.
School counselors follow legal requirements and ethical guidelines including:
- Accepting only positions for which they are qualified
- Adhering to laws, policies and ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
- Addressing biases, understanding oppression and promoting social justice
- Staying updated through professional organizations
- Engaging in continuous professional development (ASCA, 2019; ASCA, 2022)
When referring students to non-school-counseling credential staff, school counselors inform students and families of these staff members’ role within the school. The school counselor may also provide information related to the individual’s education level and scope of practice.
Summary
School counselors play an important role in students’ academic, career and social/emotional development. Non-school-counseling credentialed individuals do not have the training or skills to design or implement a school counseling program, nor are they qualified to be placed in the role of the school counselor. School counselors collaborate with administrators, teachers and staff to establish appropriate guidelines and supervision of services provided by non-school-counseling credentialed personnel and make referrals to these individuals as appropriate for the student.References
American School Counselor Association (2024). Empirical research studies supporting the value of school counseling. Alexandria, VA: Author.American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs, Fourth Edition. Alexandria, VA: Author.
American School Counselor Association (ASCA). (2021). The school counselor and credentialing and licensure. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Credentialing-and-Licensu
American School Counselor Association (2023a). The role of the school counselor. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/ee8b2e1b-d021-4575-982c-c84402cb2cd2/Role-Statement.pdf
ASCA. (2023b). The school counselor and school counseling program. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-School-Counseling-Program
Bardhoshi, G., Duncan, K., & Erford, B. (2017). Effect of a specialized classroom counseling intervention on increasing self- efficacy among first-grade rural students. Professional School Counseling, 21, 12-25.
Griffiths, A. J., Alsip, J., Hart, S. R., Round, R. L., & Brady, J. (2021). Together we can do so much: A systematic review and conceptual framework of collaboration in schools. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 36(1), 59-85. https://doi.org/10.1177/0829573520915368
Mullen, P.R., Chase, N., & Backer, A. (2019). Comparison of school characteristics among ramp and non-ramp schools. The Professional Counselor, 9(2), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.15241/prm.9.2.156
Olsen, J., Parikh-Foxx, S., Flowers, C., & Algozzine, B. (2017). An examination of factors that relate to school counselors' knowledge and skills in the multi-tiered systems of support. Professional School Counseling, 20, 159-171.
Savitz-Romer, M., Nicola, T. P., & Colletta, L. H. (2022). The promise of school counselors: Why they are essential for students’ and educators’ well-being. American Educator, 46(2), 10–15. https://www.aft.org/ae/summer2022/savitz-romer_nicola_colletta
Stone, C. B. & Dahir, C. A. (2015). The transformed school counselor. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
U.S. Department of Education (2022). School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program. Department of Education. Retrieved from: https://oese.ed.gov/files/2022/10/84.184H-SBMH-FY-22-NIA-FINAL.pdf
Resources
American School Counselor Association (2024). The role of the school counselor. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/ee8b2e1b-d021-4575-982c-c84402cb2cd2/Role-Statement.pdf
American School Counselor Association (2024). State Requirements and Programs. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/State-Requirements-Programs
California Department of Education. (2024). https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/cg/rh/counseffective.asp
Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation: https://www.counseling.org/PublicPolicy/PDF/Research_Support_School_Counseling-ACA-CSCORE_02-11.pdf